There are a number of diseases that can affect trees and plants. In particular, there are some diseases that affect entire groves of fruit trees, for example. The diseases significantly reduce citrus production in those geographical areas conducive for citrus production, including Florida, Brazil, Asia, and Africa.
One type of disease that affects fruit trees is Citrus Greening Disease (also referred to as Huanglongbing (HLB)). In this regard, Citrus Greening Disease causes disorder in the tree's vascular tissue that conducts sugar and other metabolic products downward through the trunks from the leaves.
Another type of disease that affects citrus trees is Gummosis. Gummosis is a disease that causes copious production and exudation of gum from the infected tree. Thus, gum formation on the trunk or branches of an infected tree is a characteristic symptom of Gummosis, as are cankers the gum flows from.
Electrical phenomena in trees have attracted researches for many years. In this regard, trees typically generate electric potentials that result in a flow of electrical current, and electrical response impulses may be detected as a result of stimulation of the tree.
Detection of diseases in trees is not an easy task until that time the infected trees begin to show external symptoms or characteristics of the disease. In regards to both Citrus Greening Disease and Gummosis, the earlier an infection is detected, the more likely a grove manager can prevent spread of the diseases to other trees in the grove. In this regard, if detection is delayed until symptoms are noticed, it may be too late to save other trees in the grove.